Homowingian

Part 4 (3) - Misplaced

It's been days, and his chest is still on fire. Still burning, and Hunter wonders every time how long it'll be before he's able to breathe again. Certainly won't be for a while, or at least it doesn't feel like it.

Crosshair cries himself out – every moment hurts worse than when Hunter was being tortured or whatever it was, but he doesn't try talking to him again, even if he'd do anything to take his little brother's pain away – then picks up one of Hunter's dropped feathers.

He burns and aches all over, though the maybe-bleeding stopped.

Hunter's staring awkwardly at Crosshair, watching him almost gleefully run his feather between his fingers like that's somehow not too weird – that's basically like hair? How can touching it not be weird? He's still watching when the door opens and Emerie steps inside.

Hunter straightens, flinching back. Crosshair looks up sharply, the feather in his hands stilling and nearly falling.

"I am here to scan you," she says, approaching them slowly.

She has a droid do it, this time, actually. Crosshair reaches for Hunter's hand again, and he takes it – trying to sit on the edge of their bunk is unbearably painful, anyway, and he's getting sore from being on his wings. He doesn't have a right to complain though. It's not like Crosshair can lie down at all.

His heart is pounding. Hunter watches her closely, anyway, but she doesn't seem intent on hurting them. There's something different about her that she can't place. Hunter doesn't know what it is, but... she looks...

He doesn't think about it. Doesn't want to. The safecalmminefamily he felt when he touched her is the same as he shares with Crosshair now – the same overwhelming oneness. It's something about their wings and whatever bond they share from it.

"Crosshair told me you were our sister," Hunter starts slowly. He has to be careful, and he knows that, but it won't stop him from trying. She's their sister. He has to try – he owes her that. (He doesn't owe her anything. She tortured them. His throat still feels raw. He still burns everywhere. He still can barely breathe.)

She looks at Crosshair, who instantly looks away. "I am."

He inhales deeply, trying to sort his thoughts out – he had tried to do this to Crosshair on Kamino, and it went nowhere. He's not counting on it being better with Emerie. He doesn't even know her or what to say. Admittedly, Hunter's not nearly as scared of her as he was of Crosshair, but he could easily make this worse.

(He wants to trust her. He wants her to care about him, and he's being so stupid and selfish right now. No one has time for that, and why should Emerie care about him? Why should anybody? He can't even do the one thing he's supposed to. He can't protect his family. Can't protect anyone.)

"How are you free, if you're a clone, too? You're our sister." It feels wrong to say that about anyone other than Omega, but this is Emerie, and it's somehow so right. He knows her. She's important.

"We all have our own purpose," Emerie answers, looking at him. There's a tightness in her eyes he doesn't remember seeing yesterday, but he was in so much pain, he doesn't really remember.

"So, what's yours?" Hunter asks.

"I work here," she answers, "That is what I was made for." She looks from him to Crosshair, then away.

Crosshair sighs quietly, shifting a little. He's pressing a hand to his stomach again.

"The healing should be progressing faster with you both here."